I’ve never been a huge fan of lifespan Fitness. Some of their fitness gear is overpriced for what you get. But the Lifespan TR1200i Treadmill bucks the trend somewhat with this company, it’s a treadmill where these guys have got everything right, and thankfully they didn’t slap a huge price tag on it. In fact, you get more for your money with the TR1200i than most treadmills in this price range.
Heavy Duty Frame, Power Incline, and a Decent Monitor
What most people are going to love most about this treadmill is that it feels solid; it’s a heavy treadmill weighing 220lb, which is a good thing because that extra weight keeps the treadmill planted to the floor, and it’s a telling sign this machine is made from quality materials. Also, you have a 15% 15-level power incline, again impressive for the price point, and a monitor with a full-color screen that includes 21 workout programs, Bluetooth, and wireless heart rate monitoring.
Bang for your buck, there isn’t much else out there that can challenge the TR1200i treadmill; It’s a surprisingly good treadmill for under $1000, which is why I want to take a close look at everything it has to offer.
But before we get on with the rest of the review, let’s check out the product specs!
Product Specifications
Product dimensions – 70.25 x 33 x 55 inches
Weight – 220lb
Speed – 0.5 – 11mph
Max user height – 6’1″
Anti-shock system
Folds for storage
Motor – 2.5HP
Weight capacity – 300lb
Running belt size – 56” x 20″
Why Do We Like The LifeSpan TR1200i Treadmill?
As I mentioned in the intro, the build quality is there with this machine from Lifespan. The heavy-duty frame gives this treadmill stability, which is what you need for a home treadmill. You don’t want something that moves around when you’re exercising.
Burn Twice as Many Calories and Build Your Glutes and Calves
But it’s not just the build quality I liked about the 1200i treadmill. Its best feature, I feel, is its 15% power incline.
An incline feature is essential for a treadmill, you’ll burn twice as many calories jogging on an incline, and you’ll build and strengthen those hard-to-train muscles such as your glutes, calves, and hamstrings.
If you want to get the most out of your cardio sessions, always choose a treadmill with an incline.
And when you consider that most treadmills under $1000 can only boast 10% power inclines, you start to understand what a good deal Lifespan are offering with their 1200i. This treadmill wants to outshine its competitors, and with one of the best power inclines in this price range, it is starting to cast a shadow over the competition.

Let’s Talk Deck Size!
The running deck/belt size is probably the most important feature you need to consider before buying a treadmill. Why? Because it determines who can use the treadmill and for what. The Lifespan TR1200i Treadmill has a 56″ belt, which isn’t anything special. A belt this length will allow users up to 6’1″ to jog comfortably on the treadmill without feeling restricted.
Anyone taller than 6’1″ really needs to look for a treadmill with a belt length of at least 60″.
However, the width of the belt is impressive. 20″ is a good width for a treadmill belt. Most commercial treadmills use a 22″ width for their belt, so at 20″, you’re not far off a commercial width for the TR1200i treadmill belt.
The width of a belt is important. The wider, the better, as it will prevent you from stepping off the side of the treadmill in a middle of a session, which can be a big problem with narrow running belts.
Overall, it’s a decent-sized running belt suitable for users up to 6’1″ for walking and jogging.
Fuss Free Monitor With Some Good Features
I like this monitor; it isn’t too complicated and doesn’t take much time to get to know all the features. It is pretty basic for the price point, but basic is a good thing for monitors as you don’t want an overly complicated monitor packed with features you’ll never use. Plus, it keeps the price down.
The TR1200i monitor includes all the essentials, such as built-in workout programs, Bluetooth, and speakers, and it tracks all the vital workout data such as speed, distance time, calories, and pulse.
The monitor boasts a few advanced features like wireless heart rate monitoring and a full-color screen. You also have the one-touch buttons, which allow you to access everything with a single touch of a button which is handy.
Just one disappointment for me, there are no fans to keep you cool while you exercise.
Can Be Folded With One Hand
Even when not folded, this treadmill is fairly compact for a mid-level treadmill. Still, if you really are tight on space, this machine can be folded, and it uses one of my favorite folding systems, the soft drop, or as lifeSpan likes to call there’s – the EZ folding system. A soft drop folding system is basically a folding system that uses hydraulics. The hydraulics do all the hard work for you.
You can fold and unfold the treadmill deck with a single hand. It’s that easy. And once folded, it almost halves the overall footprint of this machine.
Anti-Shock System – Reduces Impact on Joints By 40%
It’s one of the main reasons people buy a treadmill; they want to get away from high-impact surfaces like roads that can harm their joints. Finding a treadmill with a good anti-shock system is important. LifeSpan uses the same shock system on all their treadmills, which works well. It’s one of the better systems on the market.
The cushioning system uses eight independent shock pads, which helps reduce the impact of each foot strike, so thumbs up to LifeSpan for using this impressive system even on their lowest price treadmill, the TR1200i.
Anything I didn’t Like?
There wasn’t much I didn’t like about the TR1200i. For the price point, I think Lifespan Fitness has done well with their treadmill. Still, if I were to be picky, the motor’s power is lacking. 2.5HP isn’t the weakest motor i’ve seen in this price range, but it isn’t anything to shout home about either.
A 2.5HP motor is not suitable for running or heavy people, so it’s best to stick to walking or jogging on this treadmill if you don’t want early motor burnout.
Also, try to stay under the treadmill’s max capacity as a 2.5CHP motor isn’t powerful enough to often cope with heavy loads. 250lb max capacity is more realistic for a 2.5HP motor.
Easy Assembly – 45 Minutes
Assembly for this treadmill isn’t difficult, but it’s still best for two people to unbox the machine and get it in place as it’s heavy. As for assembly, the running deck, the motor already comes attached to the main frame. All you’ll need to do is attach the handrail and control console. It shouldn’t take longer than 45 minutes. All tools for the job and illustrated instructions are included
The Good
Stable treadmill with heavy duty frame – doesn’t feel cheap
Impressive 15% power adjustable incline
Wide variety of built-in workout programs
Decent monitor with Bluetooth, 7 inch full color screen and wireless hear rate monitoring
Good sized running belt
EZ Folding system – effortless to use
8 pad shock system – reduces impact on joints
Built-in transport wheels – just tilt and roll to store
The Bad
Only 2.5HP motor – best suited to walking and jogging
Have to purchase the HR chest strap separately ($30)
No cooling fan
Alternative

Schwinn 810 Treadmill
Schwinn are a company that’s been building quality home fitness gear for decades. They have more experience than any other company.
Their Schwinn 810 treadmill is one of the best treadmills you’ll come across for under $800. It’s well made and includes a ton of features, including access to their free fitness app.
The best feature of the Schwinn 810 treadmill is the size of its running belt. Its measures 55″ x 20″, which is impressive considering this is a $750 treadmill. Also, you have a 10% 10-level power adjustable incline, not as impressive as the LifeSpan, but it’s easily good enough for incline cardio sessions.
As you’d expect from Schwinn, the build quality is high, with many uses saying how good this treadmill feels, some even comparing it to machines they’ve used in their local l gyms. Still, it is not as heavy-duty as the LifeSpan TR1200i. The Schwinn weighs just 155lb, so although it is not a lightweight treadmill, it won’t feel as solid as the LifeSpan.
Like the LifeSpan, Schwinn has their own shock system for their treadmills, consisting of four large shock pads rather than eight small ones that run under the treadmill deck; again, it works well. And will help reduce the impact of each foot strike.
And lastly, the monitor includes a ton of workout programs and access to their free fitness app, which has cool features such as global routes that you can follow and race friends if you wish.
Overall an excellent treadmill from Schwinn with an affordable price tag. Another treadmill suitable for waking and jogging for users up to 6’1″.
To Sum Up
The Lifespan TR1200i is a surprisingly good treadmill from this company. Usually, I’m not overly impressed with their fitness gear, but this is a treadmill I’m happy to recommend. It boasts one of the best inclines in this price bracket, and the build quality is there too, which is what’s most important.
It looks like these guys really made an effort with the 1200i, and it shows. It’s certainly a treadmill that stands out amongst the competition in this price range.